When I was planning my Kyushu road trip, Usa Shrine was on my “must see” list. I always like to plan out what I will see when I go on road trips, and I like to add some extra things that I would like to see if I have time. Seeing pictures of this shrine while I did my research of the Oita area made me want to put this at the top of my list! The pictures I saw didn’t do it justice though.
The grounds cover a pretty large area so be prepared to spend some time here if you want to see it all. That’s the thing about trying to plan an itinerary. It’s so hard to know how much time is needed at each spot. I never want to rush through any place that I visit. Especially when it’s as beautiful as this!
When I was walking around, I was so excited to see that I hadn’t completely missed out on the beautiful fall colors. There were still some trees that had colorful leaves. I may have done a teeny tiny happy dance!
I would love to come back and see this pond in the summer, when the lotus blossoms are in bloom.
There were a few large Torii gates located throughout the grounds of this shrine. I’m a big fan of Torii gates so I had to take pictures of each one I saw.
I was in love with this beautiful place before I even got to the shrine, and then I arrived at this entrance. Pretty, isn’t it? It’s so colorful.
Then I saw this. Wow! My lens wasn’t large enough to get the whole shrine, but it was pretty impressive. I think you can see in the picture that there are three spots to give your offering and pray or give thanks. This shrine has a slightly different way to worship. At most shrines it’s bow twice, clap twice, and bow again. However, at Usa Shrine it’s bow twice, clap four times, and then bow again.
Did I mention how beautiful this place is?
Be sure to swing by Gegu Shrine too. It also has three spots for worship.
I love the doors at temples and shrines.
As I was heading back towards the parking area, I came across this beautiful tree.
….and then I saw this bridge. It seems that this bridge is still being used, but only about once every ten years for a special festival.
If you are planning a trip to Oita, I highly recommend adding this to your itinerary. Don’t forget to bring your Shuincho (temple stamp book)!
There is parking, but there is a fee. I believe I paid 400yen (approximately $4.00).
It takes about 3.5hours by car to get to Usa Shrine.
Address: 2859 Minamiusa, Usa-shi, Ōita-ken 872-0102
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